The Biltmore Championship Asheville has opened registration for Birdies for Charity, a fundraising program for Western North Carolina nonprofits. Participating organizations solicit donations from their supporters, keep 100% of funds raised, and receive a share of a tournament-funded $50,000 bonus pool based on their fundraising efforts.

Donors contribute a minimum of $20 to a participating charity of their choice and submit a guess for the total number of birdies PGA TOUR players will make during the tournament (September 17–20). The program is open to organizations operating and serving citizens in Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, and/or Madison counties. Eligible organizations include:

• 501(c)(3) nonprofits
• Government entities (law enforcement or fire departments) with a funding request to serve the public
• Educational institutions (K-12 public, private, and charter schools, and colleges and universities)

Key dates:

• June 10: Nonprofit registration opens
• June 24: Donor participation begins
• August 28: Nonprofit application closes
• September 16: Participating nonprofits record and submit all donations 

The deadline to submit your Partner Contact Review Form is this Friday, June 12. We want to make sure the right people at your business are receiving partner newsletters, event invitations, and other opportunities from Explore Asheville.

Please take a few minutes to complete the form. We recommend including at least two contacts, but more are welcome. Include anyone who:

• Was hired within the past year
• Manages marketing, social media, sales, or events
• Serves in a leadership role
• Should receive partner communications or needs access to the Partner Portal

Optional: To review your current contacts on file before submitting, log in to the Partner Portal and navigate to Profile > Contacts. The final question in the form includes space to flag outdated contacts for removal.

Last week, we announced updates to the Packages & Deals Policy for listings on ExploreAsheville.com. These changes are designed to keep listings on our Packages & Deals pages fresh, time-bound, and valuable for visitors who are planning trips to the Asheville area and Buncombe County.

Our team will begin reviewing active Packages & Deals listings on June 15. If your listings include ongoing offers without defined dates, standard offerings or pricing, or more than three active deals in a single category, now is the time to update them. The compliance deadline is June 30—after which, non-compliant listings may be removed from ExploreAsheville.com. Partners will receive a reminder before any removals.

If your Asheville business was impacted by Hurricane Helene, you can apply starting Monday, June 15, at noon for recovery grants ranging from $5,000 to $75,000. The application window closes July 16 at noon. A few things you can do now to prepare:

• Review the application in advance and begin gathering required documents before the portal opens.
• Watch the webinar recording with Amanda Frick of Mountain BizWorks, which covers program details, eligibility, and the application process.
• Connect with a technical assistance provider early. Free one-on-one application support is available—schedule an appointment as soon as possible.

Program details, eligibility information, and free application assistance are available now at ashevillerecoverstogether.org.

The Asheville Recovers Together Small Business Grant Program is funded by the City of Asheville through federal CDBG-DR disaster recovery funding from HUD, and administered by ArtsAVL, Eagle Market Streets Development Corporation, and Mountain BizWorks.

Optimist Ventures, powered by Venture Asheville, the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville Buncombe County, and the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, will soon be accepting applications for its Disaster Recovery Accelerator program.

The program offers up to $50,000 in combined funding ($25,000 grant + $25,000 investment), paired with a 12-week mentorship program designed to stabilize and grow businesses for the long term. An additional $855,000 in CDBG-DR funds will be available through this program. Applications open June 15 and close July 17.

Note for businesses considering applying to Asheville Recovers Together and Optimist Ventures' Accelerator: This program draws from the same federal CDBG-DR funding pool as the Asheville Recovers Together Grant Program. If you choose to apply to both programs, your application will be shared between the program administrators. You may not receive funding for the same costs from more than one program.